Sunday, April 24, 2005
Accountability or Tattling?
a kerfluffle over holding people responsible for their choices
There are some folks—people whom I respect—in a knot of disapproval over the idea that if one person makes a surpassingly vile statement, another person might consequently refuse to do business with them and tell their employers why. Case in point, the Pearcys and their hanging soldier effigy. [detailed coverage of the effigy at Diggers Realm]
The Pearcys are proud enough of their views to hang ‘em in public from the side of their house—though not the house where they actually live... Why in the world should they be skittish about having their employers apprised of their views? [...assuming their employers live in caves and don’t already know ...] Do the Pearcys imagine their employers would abrogate their right of “free speech?” Others seem to. Do others assume that the employers will find the effigy as reprehensible as they do? [apparently this is not the case]
There was no objection [that I am aware of] to neighbors calling police and FBI over the effigy. Yet there is massive condemnation of the suggestion that people contact the employers and inform them that the Pearcys’ actions will cost them business.
It seems to me that there is another underlying assumption at work here—that people ought to be allowed to say any damfool thing that springs to their lips—consequence free. I’m all in favor of people speaking their minds, and, unless one lives alone on an asteroid, there will be consequences. Freedom of speech means just that. It does not mean freedom from consequences.
If someone’s not proud enough of his views to let his neighbors, boss and family in on them, whatinhell is he doing holding those views in the first place?!? What happened to standing up for one’s opinions and beliefs? That is also called being responsible for one’s beliefs and opinions. What happened to expecting others to do the same?
People may or may not like my views. People may or may not hire me, do business with me or associate with me based on that. It’s the price of freedom, but more than that. It’s the price of integrity and of being proud of yourself.
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